Welcome Indeed
by Buyo E. Emmelman
Summary: No longer desperately in need of a bigger space, the Asakura family are now the new owners of a mansion known as the Spirit of Fire.     Anna x Yoh, Withered Lover x Yoh
1. Lantern House

Hi everyone. Just stopping by to say...

I don't own any of the characters the show _Shaman King_ itself. Also, I do not own the movie _13 Ghosts_ and I barely own the characters I made up for the purpose of this story. I hope you all enjoy it. Please regard me kindly.

The Blood Drawing Arc

Chapter One: Lantern House

_It had been years since we had a house. _Anna gazed at the sprawling fields of spearmint. She had never been to Hokkaido before and she was taking in as much of its beauty as she could on the long ride to her family's new home. They all rode packed tightly together in a rented SUV. Ryu was driving, Anna had the front seat, Yoh, Tammy, Hana, and Morty had the middle row, and Trey, Len, and Lyserg were squished in the tiny third row amongst the bags. It was no different than back at their apartment in Tokyo though-- there was hardly enough space for Hana to play, for Anna to lounge, or for Yoh's records. Needless to say, it wasn't the kind of place that could accommodate a large group of friends so for a good while, the group wasn't able to get together as often as they used to. It was a nice apartment―not perfect but okay. To help pay for the rent, Anna had taken up a desk job in a small boring office. She wasn't even sure what the office was all about; all she did was file, copy, print, and deliver. Anna often found herself sighing and muttering something along the lines of 'it could be worse' as she pecked away at the keyboard looking for live streams of soap operas. Yoh had taken on job as a store hand in an upscale shop that sold organic foods and fancy, fresh baked breads. He moved boxes, stocked shelves, and manned the sample counter every once in a while (although he was often scolded for tasting too much). Tamara still took care of the house and baby sat Hana when he came home from school. She worked hard to be sure a warm meal of whatever they could afford was on the table. Despite cramped quarters, being low on food, loud neighbors, and not having enough time to watch soaps, Yoh did a good job remaining confident constantly saying he knew things would get better. 'He was right' Anna thought peeking at Yoh from the rear view mirror.

Two days ago Yoh had gotten a call from Hao's personal assistant Opacho; apparently Hao had died of illness and was leaving his 'beloved' brother his home. Anna didn't really know what to think of the idea at all―she didn't know Hao and couldn't shake the feeling of suspicion but at the same time, Opacho had mentioned it being a large home with a quiet, lush bit of land surrounding it and Anna admitted she wouldn't mind that. Yoh had assured Anna that the house would be just what they need to bring happiness back into their lives. You see ever since the house had burned down back in Funbari Hill and Yoh, Anna, their son Hana, and Tamara had all been staying in the small apartment previously mentioned things had indeed become a bit more dreary. Even after two months, the small family hadn't been able to make their apartment a home. That being the case, the new (free!) home was a blessing anyway you sliced it.

"This is great huh Anna?" Yoh called to Anna who sat in the front seat. He was cheerful, his carefree smile stretching across his face. It had been so long since Anna had seen it. Yoh was having a hard time adjusting to the hard and cold city life and hadn't been smiling much since. The scenery to their new home was nothing but nature and small homely houses all spaced apart―the polar opposite of city life. "Wha? Oh yeah…sure." Even though Anna was slowly becoming all the more uncomfortable as they traveled mile after mile, she bit her tongue...Yoh and Hana were happy and so, she supposed, she was happy as well.

_"The house is called the Spirit of Fire in Hokkaido--it glows with light in the deep forest. Opacho loves the house and so did Master Hao. Yoh will like it too." _ The words still rang in Anna's ears from Opacho's fax which included directions to the house, and a small map of the 'town' closest to the house. She didn't trust Opacho―just another stranger. She refused to say anything about Hao personally other than saying that he was wealthy, kind, and resembled his brother. Anna was curious about this Hao, just who was he? He thoughts were disturbed when Len and Horo Horo tussled with each other for the millionth time in the third row. Their outbursts were enough to keep the trip lively. Yoh had invited Len, Jun, Horo Horo, Pilika, Ryu, Lyserg, and Morty to come along and stay with them. _"It'll be just like old times!" _Yoh had explained once. Minus Faust and Chocoai, every one of Yoh's old friends would be coming along and staying with him again. His grin never left his face.

As Yoh, Horo Horo, Len, Ryu, and Morty bantered happily in the car Tamara was excited to be going to a new place and seemed alright by the idea of having to take care of a mansion and Hana. She seemed satisfied with anything as long as she could help Yoh―she was a hard worker. Hana had been sleeping off and on in the car ride and he was in his longest run of sleep until he stirred when the SUV stopped at a dirt road.

Ryu turned back to Yoh who was totally at ease (as always). "Is this the right way?" Yoh looked sure. "Yeah. That or the road to a crazy ax wielding maniac." He mocked the 'dun-uh, dun-uh, dun-uh from cliché horror flicks and made a stabbing motion with his hand. Anna, Morty, a Tamara stared incredulously at Yoh who brushed it all off and laughed. "But it's definitely the house!" Anna was looking disapprovingly at her husband and son who joined in laughter at the joke. Anna didn't think it was funny.

"Its way out here isn't it?" Morty looked outside the windows into the dark forest. "I don't know, I kinda like the set up." Yoh was ever optimistic. Even as the once clear day turned to a black and almost moonless night, Yoh's smile never faded. Anna, however, was still at unrest―she fidgeted in the front seat.

Soon the car came to a complete stop in the grassy plain that probably stood as a front yard of sorts. "Whoa what a yard!" Hana was first to bound out of the car from Tammy's lap. Tamara got out and followed after him as he ran around into the tall grass. Horo Horo, Ryu, Lyserg, and Morty gawked at the wide spread of land as they got out and stretched. Yoh went to help an absent mined Anna out of the front seat. He looked into her eyes lovingly. "What's wrong Anna?" She was clearly upset, biting her bottom lip. "Nothing I just feel…uneasy." Yoh was understanding and wrapped his arm around Anna's shoulder pulling her close. "It's okay Anna, you'll get used to it. You'll see." Anna felt a twinge of pain in her chest as she thought of how unfair it was that her mood was bringing her Yoh down. So, she picked herself up a little and glared. "Whatever." She looked a little agitated. Yoh cracked a smile---his Anna had returned for the moment.

At the door step stood Opacho. She was a small girl and she wore a clean, well pressed white blouse and skirt. "Welcome to the Spirit of Fire." She gestured to the towering house that glowed in the night like a lantern. The outer walls were translucent like paper and light illuminated from them. "Wow guys this is great! Yeah!" Hana suddenly bolted past Yoh and Anna and up to the large glass doors coming to an abrupt halt in front of Opacho grinning sheepishly. "HANA COME BACK!" Tamara followed in pursuit as she had when she followed him into the grass. After catching her breath, she apologized to Opacho who frowned with distaste,

After a second or two, Opacho then stared at Yoh and Anna. "Take care of Master Hao's home, it was his pride." Opacho then turned her back to Hana and Tammy, slipped a quill pen from her hair and pressed the sharp tip to her finger. A single drop of warm blood pooled at the small wound and Opacho quickly wiped the blood onto the walls. Without anyone but Opacho noticing, the blood soaked into the paper like walls with unnatural quickness. "You'll have to excuse this door's lock," Opacho said looking over her shoulder. "It can be a little temperamental." The thick glass doors then slid into ground revealing a normal house door and Opacho smiled warmly. "Welcome Home."

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You don't have to review but please don't be mad at me.


	2. Frightfully Large

A big 'thank you' to everyone who reviewed and has paid attention to the story! I have never read the manga with Hana in it but I want to do right by him so if anyone has read it, please tell me more about the 'real' Hana.

Chapter Two: Frightfully Large

"..." Everyone was speechless, simply dazzled by the splendor of the massive house. The foyer was oddly spacious but beautiful with floor finished in a shiny cherry oak and the rice paper screen walls illuminated by soft light. The foyer forked from the stair case winding upward in two directions. Along the walls were several sliding doors. "First dibs on a room!" Hana shouted as he shot up the stairs. Calling after him, Tamara followed. Opacho frowned at the sight and then at Yoh who grinned after his son. "He's just excited. This place is really great!" Yoh seemed confident in his words as he assured Opacho who still didn't look too satisfied. While everyone else, including a reluctant Opacho poured into the roomy foyer Anna lingered at the door discouraged. She stood with her arms crossed, peering into the door of the Spirit of Fire as if she was waiting for it to snap down like a crocodile's mouth. "What's wrong Anna? You okay?" Yoh looked curiously at Anna from over his shoulder. She had been acting strangely since they arrived. "...It's...nothing." She stepped past a bewildered Yoh. _I wonder if she's alright... _Yoh wondered for a moment and then walked inside. The door slid shut all it's own.

"I'll need you to sign some papers for me." Opacho said to Yoh, Spirit of Fire's new owner. Yoh agreed and followed the small girl upstairs. Anna followed after, her arms still folded as the others dispersed onto the bottom floor. After a length flight of stairs, the group reached a rather fancy room that was slightly cluttered but still tidy. Opacho hopped into the desk chair and began to go through that had been haphazardly stacked on the desk. "This is the floor plan and these are the house mechanics--you'll need to hold on to these. Here I have the willing documents and rights to the property, read and sign accordingly." In a business manner, Opacho shifted through the mob of stacked paper in the office. She placed paper after paper in manila folders and tucked them away in a drawer. "When you're done, I'm going to give you a tour of the house; Master Hao thought it'd be a nice touch to help you feel at home." Her tone suggested that she didn't think so. Anna bristled, not liking Opacho's tone but Yoh continued to read and sign papers. The documents were short and were signed quickly.

"Whew!" Yoh exclaimed as he gazed at the grand study. "What exactly did Hao _do_?" He poked at one of the odder gizmos on the book shelf. Some odd thing with dials and bells. "Master Hao was a collector of sorts. The items in his collection are not only priceless, they are his pride." Opacho seemed quite sure of this much—she herself seemed to take pride in the collection. . Who wouldn't? Hao's study was not only spacious; it was littered with information and cultural gold. Most of the items were stored neatly on shelves along with the menagerie of literature. Others were showcased in Plexiglas boxes. Strangest of all were the walls and floor, both covered in odd writing; while this seemed like it didn't bother Yoh as he poked and prodded at everything he could, it was the only thing Anna was paying attention to. She was leaning in the far corner closest to the door. "Say Opacho, what's all this?" She gestured to the floor. "It's nothing to worry about." Opacho spoke quickly but sternly. "A simple design, nothing more. You'll find it all over the house—the Master's favorite design." She and Anna glared at one another.

"Um, hey, how about that tour?" Yoh sputtered out when he noticed the flying eye daggers. "It can start the moment you assemble your friends." Opacho was obviously still peeved.

---On the first floor---

"Hey Ryu, did you find a living room yet?" Horo Horo called from a different room. "Nothing here my friend!" Ryu called back.

"Why are you looking for a living room?" Morty asked. He was sitting on a futon pushed up against a wall in the large lounging room.

"Because where there is living room, there is TV!" Horo Horo answered as he came from the other room.

"...you know..." Morty started as he looked around the room from his seat. "_This_ probably is the living room."

"!", Horo Horo and Ryu were shocked.

"In some houses, living rooms are just places to sit and talk with company." Morty finished.

The blue haired boy was discouraged again. "Yeah but what if no one has anything to talk about? We can't turn on the TV when that happens if there isn't one."

"... Yeah but...did Yoh's old house, the inn, have a TV in the living room?" Lyserg piped in from a corner.

"..." _Hmmm_

"_No,_ it didn't. We got all our entertainment from that buffoon over there." Lenny, coming from the other room in the back, gestured to Horo Horo. "Grrr! 'from that buffoon over there', I'll show you! Bring it on!" Horo Horo mocked Lenny. He then proceeded to smack his butt teasingly at Lenny whose violet hair point grew in anger. (Does anyone ever notice that?) Banter began between the two and Ryu joined in the fun as Lyserg stared to laugh. Morty watched the scene smiling to himself. _I guess it's a good thing we never get bored huh?_

--Else where upstairs--

Having lost Hana in the halls of the third floor, Tamera, shaken by the eerie silence, traversed the halls. _We might end up closing up this floor. _Tamera thought as she passed door after door, hall after hall. She was lost now, and visibly frightened. She could feel eyes on her back as she walked; she thought she could even hear foot steps echoing hers. Step by step, her pace quickened and soon, out of pure fear, she burst into a full run barreling down the halls until she skidded to a stop at the center of the floor. The circular area was barren with a sky light dressed in cobwebs. The crescent moon's light shined lightly through the lacy webs. A draft swept along the floor and Tamera clutched her arms as she shivered. When she pulled back, her own blood was dripping from her fingers. _Oh no, I must have ripped it on something! _She looked at the side of her arm which hadn't taken on too much damage. Tamera wiped idly at the small cut on her arm and headed down another hall hoping she'd finally catch up to Hana.

Behind her a single drop of blood lay on the floor. It seeped slowly into the floor and a soft sigh was heard from the walls.

----

_Did you just hear something?_

_----_


	3. As Evil Awakens

I wish I could say 'sorry I'm late!' but that'd be an understatement huh? Seriously, sorry…

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Chapter Three: As Evil Awakens

As they walked down the stairs, Anna sighed in what was more annoyance than fatigue. In such a fancy house with sliding doors and all that soft lighting you'd think there'd be an elevator! All the rooms in the Spirit of Fire had high beamed ceilings that didn't allow short flights of stairs. While Anna was fit enough to travel the stairs, she'd rather not and as she watched Yoh flow swiftly down the stairs with his long chocolate hair trailing behind him, she decided that she'd have Yoh running the stairs more than she would. She thought this and sighed again. _Maybe this house is a little too big. _In front of Yoh was Opacho who seemed to almost bounce down the stairs with ease. Apparently, she was well used to them. _Hm… _Anna began to wonder. _Did Opacho live here along with Hao? _She looked around, taking in the high ceilings and translucent and glass walls. _What kind of person would want such a place for just himself? _

When they arrived in the foyer and found that Yoh's friends were no where to be found, Opacho frowned. "Your friends are annoying." She muttered. "Who told them to tread about without permission?" Anna, hearing Opacho's words, peeved. Anna admitted that they could act dumb sometimes but she didn't appreciate Opacho saying it. Brushing past the small girl, Anna gave her brusque 'hump'. Opacho glared at what she interpreted was insolence on Anna's part and was prepared to begin what would likely be an argument when Yoh interrupted. "Well, they couldn't have gotten too far…how about we just start the tour? We're bound to catch up to them!" Yoh grinned. The grin was one of Anna's favorite things about Yoh and though she'd never admit it, it made her swoon. Anna's expression softened. Opacho, unmoved, shrugged her shoulders. "Fine then," Opacho took two key rings out of her blouse pocket. "Let's begin."

----------------Elsewhere, on the same floor…--------------

"Guys, maybe we should be getting back to the foyer…I mean when Yoh and Anna come looking for us, we won't be there and…" Morty trailed off as he surveyed the surroundings. They had left the lounging area a while ago, following Trey and Ryu. Lyserg and Len were behind Morty in no way unnerved by the ominous house. Instead they seemed cautious like they were waiting for something. "…We're lost." Morty murmured to himself, clutching the camera he'd brought. He was going to video tape their first days in the house, hoping they would be as fun as the ones in the old Funbari Inn. Ever since the inn burned down, he regretted not having done more than take a few pictures—this time, he was going to document as much as possible...but the house, to be honest, freaked him out. Even though Yoh didn't seem put out by the house, Morty couldn't shake the chills the house gave him. He knew it was going to take a lot to turn this mansion into a home._ Maybe it's a little too big. _He thought looking up at the ceiling.

After leaving the lounging area or the 'TV-less living room' as Trey had called it, the group had gone through two other rooms. One was what those who owned them called parlors. It was a spacious, lounging room for swanky gatherings complete with everything you'd imagine someone would want to entertain guests. The room was card themed with red, black, and white decor and complete with a piano bar. While the others poked and prodded at the piano and the extensive wine glass sets, Morty found a picture more interesting. It was Hao, playing at the piano bar, entertaining a ritzy crowd. Hao looked happy playing and Morty was suddenly curious about Yoh's relationship with his apparent twin. They certainly looked a lot alike (especially since Yoh had been growing his hair out) but he couldn't imagine them being any more similar beyond that. _Yoh doesn't seem like the piano and wine party type. _A barrage of questions filled Morty's head but one stood out. _What does Yoh know about this guy?_

The next room was somewhat a second foyer that had a spacious view of something outside. There were long, heavy drapes caked with dust that were drawn closed over the windows; drapes that they weren't going to open. This room held nothing remarkable except doors. There were doors everywhere and each was exactly the same—ominous. There seemed like there wasn't enough stuff in the world to fill all this rooms! Who would need this much space. '_Maybe Hao had a lot of friends that he housed here...' _Morty thought looking up to find another row of doors on an upper floor, and then another—this room was apparently the ground floor of a tower. _'A lot of friends...' _

"This house is filthy…" Lyserg said, wiping a finger idly across one of the vases lining the walls. "Yes, it will require _something_ to spruce it up." Ryu added looking at a nearby cobweb. "By 'something', you mean a major cleaning crew. There is no way _we _can clean this house ourselves! You'd think someone with enough money to afford such a house would be able to afford some upkeep. Seems like even Hao gave up caring for this house long before he died." Lenny crinkled his nose in disapproval. "That's right, we can't clean all this. What if Lenny broke a nail? What a girl!" Trey taunted Len. "Why you!" As they began their tussle the others laughed, brushing off the troubles of such a large (and dirty) house.

-------------On an unknown floor…---------

"TAMERA? TAMERA?" Hana called, his voice echoing through the halls. He was so caught up in seeing the house and escaping Tamera that he had gotten himself lost. As soon as he noticed that he could no long hear Tammy behind him, he slowed and slowly began to fear his surroundings. _'This place is a lot scarier without Tammy...'_ Tamera looked out for him a lot, especially when Yoh and Anna began working. While he loved and respected his parents just as much, Tamera was a bigger part of his life. Yoh and Anna worked often after the inn burned down and weren't able to always be with Hana (before then, the family of three had leisurely fun sprinkled a few life lessons). The new house would give them a chance to be a closer family again since there would be no more working for rent money. "Tammy…" Hana said, his voice trailing with fear. The more he walked, the more the fear began to catch up on him. The Spirit of Fire is a big house, a big and quiet house. When one is in an unfamiliar place, alone, and in silence, they are more than likely to be afraid…and Hana was becoming more frightened by the second.

As Hana's walk began to get faster and faster, he started to pass door after door. It started as only a few but soon there were many doors lining the halls. Despite the doors, Hana kept on moving in search of Tammy, his power walk becoming a full on run. He ran until his heart was pounding and his were feet aching, then pushed himself a little farther before he stopped at a dead end. He was facing a window that was large and set low to the floor. Outside, the view was that of a garden. From the window, it was hard to see if the flowers were alive or dead but the trees were clearly on their way to dying. In one of the trees was a hole that warped the tree to an almost concave form. The leaves were brown and scarce, the wood was almost bleached. _What did that? _Hana thought as he turned around.

"Hi."

Stumbling back, Hana found he was face to face with a strange boy. He had dark long hair that flowed over half his face and down his back. His eyes were a piercing blue and his skin was flushed like he'd just come out of a hot bath. The boy, despite Hana's shock, reached out to shake hands. Hesitantly, Hana shook hands with the grinning boy and smiled feeling safety wash over him.

"I'm Hana."

"Hiya Hana, my name is Joshua."

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Thanks for reading.


	4. Coming Out to Play

Guys, I know I probably seem like a real jerk for not posting regularly but I have a hard time because I have to do so much school work since I started Insight school.---Emmelman

Chapter Four: Coming Out to Play

"And this is the galley." Opacho gestured to the room decked in black and stainless steal. The large kitchen seemed built for a hotel; there were rows of preparation tables, stoves, and ovens. Along the walls were silver cooking utensils, pans, pots, woks, and oven mitts. Close to a sitting area (comprised of a homely wooden table and chairs) was a wall covered in pictures. Anna, having strayed from Opacho and Yoh, was staring at the pictures. Among them, a Christmas photo featuring what must have been the entire kitchen staff. There were elderly women and a few men close beside them. Oddly, five children were dressed in messy aprons and smiling beside the old people. _'Children lived here too? So this place __**was**__ a residency...' _Those same children were in another picture that featured them dressed for Halloween with a small caption. It read from left to right:

'Archibald, Mabel, and Noah Rupert + Joshua and Kristin Donnie (Halloween Party 23)'

The oldest children, Archibald and Joshua were both dressed as cowboys. Mabel was holding Noah in her arms (who was dressed as a ghost)—there was a simple white sheet over his body. Mabel was dressed as a nun it seemed and Kristin was dressed in a fancy gown—apparently a princess. Anna grazed a finger across the glass of the frame and sighed. In her mind, she imagined Hana, dressed as a cowboy like the two boys, grinning right beside them. _'I wonder if Hana has friends...' _"Anna?" Yoh placed a hand on her shoulder. "Those are some cute kids huh? Apparently, Hao used to have a team personal chefs, maids, and workers who lived here—these must be their kids." He turned to face Opacho who stood in a door way waiting. "Right? These are the staff's kids?"

"Right."

Anna turned and folded her arms. "Are there many pictures like this? With all these people?" Opacho frowned suddenly and spoke sternly. "The photos stay." Yoh smiled and wrapped an arm around Anna's shoulder. "They're fine right Anna? You never know, there might be spirits in these old photos." "Whatever…" Anna shrugged, smoothed out of Yoh's arm, and walked out the door Opacho was waiting beside. Scratching the back of head, Yoh grinned after her. He may have been married to her for a while now, but Anna will be Anna. "Right…" Opacho started. "Let's be off then."

-----------------On an unknown staircase--------------------

Having finally gotten herself to one of the main stairwells, Tamera was resting. Now that she had found a familiar landmark, she was feeling a little better—her heart stopped trying to beat itself out of her chest. She was hoping that Hana had made it back as well, but she was doubtful. Certainly, Tamera didn't want to go back up stairs, but she knew she couldn't leave Hana. '_I'll just tell the guys, and then we can search together!' _Tamera thought as she got up and started down the stairs.

"_WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"_

Tamera spun on her heels, looking for the voice. "H-helllllloooo—"Falling backwards, Tamera tumbled down the flight of stairs and ended up slamming into the railing with a thud.

The stair case was silent until a beautiful blond girl dressed in a fancy Lolita dress came down the stairs. She wore a black nurse's cap and dark eye shadow. "Mari tried to stop you. Mari says no running on the stairs."

------------------------The Stone Garden's Hall-------------------

The larger team who had gone in search of a TV, ended up in the garden hall. A garden hall, as Morty supposed, was basically an outdoor hallway, a suspended walkway that winded through a garden. Morty liked it; while he thought nothing could brighten up the house, he was sure the garden would at least be welcoming once the sun shined over it. Trey, Ryu, and Lyserg were outside the hall, out in the garden. Trey was sitting on one of the benches, looking up into the sky and enjoying the stars. Ryu was tracing shapes in surface of a puddle with his foot and Lyserg was sitting playing with the leaves on a nearby bush. Morty was still nervous, and was sticking close to Len who had decided to stay on the walkway. Compared to the inside of the house, the garden was much better cared for. The sand of the Zen garden was finely raked and the bushes were trimmed. The various patches of flower arrangements were sprinkled with water droplets that glistened. Morty snapped a few pictures with his camera saying something about how the flowers might die seeing as no one has a green thumb. Len was glaring out into the distance across the garden. '_Someone MUST be here besides us, who else could have been caring for the garden?'_ "Hey Len, you think we should be getting back to the foyer right?" Morty said having finished taking pictures of the foliage close to the bridge. Len continued to stare out into the garden and then beyond it. "Len? Uh...Helloooo Len?"

'_What is that?' _

Somewhere beyond the garden, a large man was rustling about in a bush before he looked up, and suddenly ducked out of sight.

----------------------The second floor------------------

Hana, having befriended Joshua, was traveling with him about the second floor. While they walked, they talked about various things. Frivolous things like favorite foods and more pressing questions like favorite baseball teams. One of the things mentioned was Joshua's hobby which was brushed off before Joshua admitted that he liked to shoot things.

"Sooo, like archery?" Hana asked. "Well uhhh, yeah! I guess that's what you'd call it—I like archery!" Hana was a little surprised—he didn't know kids still took up those kinds of hobbies.

"So Hana, what is it do like to do?" Joshua asked, suddenly hopping in front of Hana and walking backwards.

"Well, I guess I like uhh...music. I wanna be a rock star!" He smiled and chuckled a little imitating playing a electric guitar. Hana had inherited his dad's smile and his musical tastes—even his orange ear phones. "I've got some of my dad's old records but...we ended up tossing a lot of them...But now we got a new house so maybe we can get some more."

"..."

Noticing the silence, Hana looked into Joshua's face that was both curious and puzzled. "What's wrong?"

"What's rock? Is that music? What's it like?"

"...? You're serious; you don't know rock and roll? Oh, how about Soul Bob? He's old school but still pretty cool!"

"I know Soul Bob, Master liked Soul Bob too! He played the songs on the piano sometimes and hummed the songs to himself when he went on walks."

"Really? That's so cool! He must've been a real fan to write the songs into sheet music and stuff! Hey, you think that he still has his records around? The master I mean?"

"Uh-huh, they're in that room of his, wanna see?"

"You bet!"

The two boys then began to run through the halls laughing, Joshua leading the way--his long black hair flew behind him.

"Hey Joshua?"

"Huh?"

"Who's the 'master'?"

Thanks to everyone who's been sticking around for me and liking the story! Merry Christmas!


	5. Crushed Puppies and Swanky Record Player

I'm sorry it has been so long :(

Please forgive me.

Chapter Five: Crushed Puppies and Swanky Record Players

"What was that? It…" Len trailed off.

"Um…Len? What's wrong?"

"Someone is here; I saw him duck down just over there." He pointed out towards the bushes the strange figure had appeared beside. Trey and Ryu came back to the walkway pulling themselves up over the ledge. "What's up with Len?" Trey asked dusting his pants off.

"Well Len says that he saw someone out there." Morty said trying to see as well. "Not Yoh or Anna?" Lyserg said, in the midst of being helped onto the walkway by Ryu. "Too big…it must've been a yard worker or something." "Speaking of Yoh and Anna, shouldn't we be going back guys?" Morty said worried about causing Anna and Yoh trouble if they're waiting for the group to return for something important.

Len, still gazing into the distance, said "I'll be right back…" and jumped off the walkway to investigate the stranger. Trey adventurously followed after as did Ryu who didn't want to be left out of the fun.

"There's no point in waiting I guess…" Lyserg said hopping off and walking after the others leaving Morty stammering a protest. When the protest fell on deaf ears, Morty sighed and struggled off the walkway dangling off the side before letting go and hitting the grass with a plop. He ran after the team while Len snapped at Trey for following him.

"…always following behind me like some kind of lonesome mutt IS an invasion of my privacy!" Len said turning around to poke Trey in the chest. They'd reached a pond that had become more a swamp. It was over run with odd fungus, growths, and plants.

"Follow behind you? As if! You know you're glad we came along 'cuz you were all like 'OMG a scary ghost!'"

"I never said I saw a ghost. I distinctly recall saying it must've been a _grounds keeper_! Who else would be prowling around a well kept garden, at night, in a house that obviously hasn't been a home for at least a year!"

"Uhhh guys…" Morty stammered.

"What are you talking about? If the house has been empty for so long, then why is it that this Hao guy wait until now to give the house to Yoh?"

"Guys?"

"That's exactly what's so wrong about this: just who is this 'Hao'? Do you remember Yoh ever mentioning Hao?"

"Well that's…uhhh…"

"GUYS!"

"What?!"

"Look at that!" Morty shouted pointing to the behemoth wading in the shallow end of the pond they'd reached. She was a bulky girl, like an ogre with red pig tails and freckles. Her face was wet from either sweat or pond water and her green eyes were fixed on the invaders, all frozen in place.

------On the dark lane--------

"Pailong, do you think we're on the right road?" Jun asked, re-reading the directions she got from Anna for the 50th time. She was hoping that the house was close to a city like the inn was but there was no such luck. The Spirit of Fire was about an hour ride from the nearest town which was less than accommodating, the best store for food there was a 24 hour convenience store gas station. Jun, Len's older sister and Pilica, Trey's sister were invited to live in the inn by Yoh. Pailong, Jun's boyfriend agreed to drive them but had no plans of staying, instead he thought he would just be a frequent visitor. However, the drive was convincing him to desire to stay instead; it was quite a long journey. Pilica was sleeping in the back seat with her travel companion Kororo, the 'adorable puppy of rain'. A month ago, Trey brought him home after finding him trying to catch a frog in the rain. Pilica was held up from going with Trey because of car space and schooling. Jun was suffering from a cold that demanded she not be crammed in a car with the others as she coughed and sneezed for hours on end. Pilica and Pailong didn't really mind at all.

Before long, Jun could spot the glow of the Spirit of Fire over the trees. Worried, thinking that it might be an actual fire, she asked Pailong to speed forward. As the car hit bumps, rocks probably--the road wasn't paved, Kororo began to bark in the backseat, whining and nipping at Pilica's nose. Pilica snapped up. "What's up Kororo?...Holy—what are you guys doing?!" She shouted when she noticed Pailong was flying down the lane. "I think there's been a fire!" Jun shouted, hands clutching the both sides of the seat. Kororo still barking and whining, did not settle even as they neared the house. The car screeched to a halt beside the van that the others had taken. All three gazed in awe at the splendor of the glowing house; a masterpiece unlike anything they'd ever seen. Pilica, muttering something about a massive light bill absentmindedly opened the car door allowing to Kororo dash out, running into the field the house faced heading for the woods. Pilica instinctively ran after calling behind her to Jun saying 'I'll be back okay?' Although a tad worried, Jun allowed Pailong to help her from the car and they walked hand in hand towards the door while Pilica chased after her doggy.

-----Dashing Through the Grass----

"Kororo, what's wrong? Please come back!" Pilica called chasing Kororo into the night. She couldn't see a thing besides the reflector on Kororo's purple collar and even that began to fade as she began to lag further behind him. Suddenly, Kororo bound into the air and Pilica, unable to stop, slammed head long into what was more than likely a 'man'. He was a towering giant, hard like stone, who smelled of charred rubber and copper wearing what must've been a cloak. Pilica looked up to see Kororo, suspended above her wiggling his little legs in protest. "Hey, hey you! Thank you for stopping him but you can give him back now okay? Hey!" Pilica shouted tapping the massive man slightly tempted to sniff and see if his stench was contagious. "Listen to me!" She shouted again, slapping the man on the arm a little harder. He cranked his head down and sighed before suddenly—CRUNCH!-- Kororo was crushed in the man's hand like he was nothing; it was a small and easy gesture for the strange fellow. "Wh...why..." Pilica gasped stumbling backwards in shock and fear. The stranger reached out another hand, Kororo still clenched in the other, and snatched up a lock of Pilica's blue hair. "NO, NO NOOOO! LET ME GO, LET ME GO! SOMEBODY HELP, HEL---" In a successful effort to silence the screaming and kicking girl, the attacker had smacked, no maybe punched her, in the head with her dog. He grunted and continued to drag Pilica deeper into the woods.

---A Very Nice Room...---

"Whoa, he's even got the special editions!" Hana exclaimed browsing the extensive collection of albums all neatly arranged on a bookshelf.

"The master was a dedicated fan. He listened to his records often." Joshua said, lingering by the door. "Awesome! Hey do you know if your master has any ummm..." Hana dug in his pockets fishing for something. He pulled out CD player with a few scratches on it. It was a gift from Jun who thought 'he was so cute in his little headphones'. "...CDs?" He pointed at the slightly damaged player. Joshua stared dead-pan for a second before shaking his head. "Oh." Hana said, slightly disappointed. "Well, can you help me find his record player?" Joshua nodded and pointed to ancient relic on a small stand by the fire place. The entire room was rustic and fancy—something you might expect from a man who had such a nice house. A symbol of utter sophistication, the room was decorated with all kinds of baubles and books. There was a pile of papers on a desk and an odd pattern of script all over the walls and floor. One might recognize this as the study Opacho, Anna, and Yoh visited earlier (not that it matters). Much like his mother, he had recognized the script early on but Joshua had written it off as an expensive designer's work.

"Whoa..." Hana muttered impressed by the antique. Yoh's record player wasn't like this one but a much more modern design (as modern as a record player could be, he imagined). Running an idle finger across the intricate design on the finish, Hana noticed that the record play, as well as everything else in this particular room was much cleaner than in other rooms.

"Hey, Joshua..." Hana started.

"Hm?" Joshua looked up from his feet.

"Aren't ya' gonna come in?" Hana grinned, pointing at Joshua who was still glued to the door frame. Joshua frowned and shook his head. "I'm really...nOt...AllOwEd." Only the first part could reach Hana who looked on confused. "I know where we could find the rest of the master's collection." Joshua said, turning around. "We could take the record player with us." Hana frowned and looked at the record player perched on the old table. They'd probably break the table trying to move the machine...and it look freakin' HEAVY. There was no way Hana was gonna carry that thing around "What about the stairs? And look at that record player—it looks a little heavy for us to carry more than a few feet..." Joshua still didn't turn around. Instead he pointed at the table's legs over his shoulder. "The table has wheels. And I know where the elevators are." "Oh." Hana said, a little dumbfounded. 'Joshua must really not like this room at all...' He though. '...maybe his master really didn't allow people to come in here...does that make Joshua a servant?' "Okay, let's go then." Hana said pushing the table. To him, this Hao guy was becoming more and more a mystery.

---Still on Tour...---

"That brings us back to the foyer." Opacho said. She seemed to be enjoying the tour now regardless on Anna's glares and questions. This is the second time a hall had led them back to the foyer and while Yoh thought 'it was pretty neat' and 'would take a little getting used to', Anna didn't like it one bit. While Opacho happily planned which way to go next. Anna decided to talk to Yoh for a second. He was staring up at a painting of a woman.

"..." She was a lovely blond woman in an elegant yukata with a bright red sash tying it up in the front. She looked so...concerned.

"What are you looking at Yoh?" Anna said.

"That...woman." Yoh pointed up at the painting. Anna stared...and stared...and then frowned. "Are you serious?"

"Huh?" Yoh blinked.

"That's no woman Yoh, that's a painting of the house."

Sure enough, it was a painting of the Spirit of Fire in all its glowing glory on a moon lit night. Yoh was, needless to say, dumbfounded...he could swear it was a painting of a lady just a second ago. Anna continued to frown at him; she decided they'll talk about the obvious maze-like qualities of the house later.

"Come along, come along!" Opacho said clapping her hands together to get the couple's attention. She noticed Yoh staring up at the painting and smiled warmly. "Master Hao painted this." She said. "In fact, he's painted just about all the painting you'll find in this house. You'll find the master was a man of many talents."

"Oh really?" Anna said, crossing her arms.

"Really." Opacho wasn't fazed. "Now, come along. Let's continue this tour shall we? You're friends seem to be enjoying their own self-guided tour..." She turned to look a Yoh who was a bit worried at the mention of his friends who had wandered off. "...but rest assured, they will not be lost for long. This house is a gentle place where every hall, every room leads you where you belong." Anna scoffed, skeptical at how Opacho talks about Hao and his home in such a romantic way. 'This place just keeps feeling more and more wrong as we go on...' she thought as she followed Opacho who was making her way over to yet another set of doors. Noticing Anna's concern for the umpteenth time, Yoh asked Opacho if they could make a stop for a snack.

"A snack?" Opacho and Anna asked, stopping to look at Yoh who grinned his usual grin.

"Yeah, I'm sure we could all us a little break from walking and who can say no to a little snack huh?" Opacho smiled again, her mood seems to have become all the more radiant. "Then let's be off to the tea room hm?"

Thanks for reading.


	6. The First Ring

Chapter Six: The First Ring

"Where am I?" Tamara wondered to herself. She remembered falling down the stairs but not much else afterwards. Now she was in a small cot situated in a quiet, cozy but somehow unnerving room. The walls were a boring beige with a pretty design all over it--'a fancy stencil design' as Tamara had thought. The floor was deep red-violet carpeting that looked inviting and warm. Hints of a lighter shade could be seen in the carpet, also 'very fancy' as Tamara had said. She woke to find herself in this room a few minutes ago but hadn't thought to venture out of it. Her throat was parched and her head was throbbing a little but she seemed content on staying put. 'Someone must've brought in here so I should wait until they come back.' She closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto tough cot pillow.

"Mari was wondering when you would stir." Tamara snapped up to find an odd blond girl standing in door way. In her right hand, she held a small cup of ice water. Apparently, the water was so cold, the small frail hand was shivering and shaking. The other hand was clutching uncomfortably at the hem of the girl's dress. She walked over to Tamara.

"Mari bought this for you." She pushed the drink towards Tamara.

"Oh...thank you."

As Tamara drunk, Mari sat adjacent to the bed on the floor. "You came with the Master's brother..." She trailed off. "You are his...maid?" Tamara stopped drinking, amazed at just how little she had drunk so far. "No, well yes...well not officially! I mean, I'm not paid. I just help around the house..."

Silence fell. "The child. He isn't yours but that other woman's, yes?"

Tamara turned in the cot a little to look at Mari. Her expression was dull and bored; she twirled a strand of her hair with her right index finger. "You mean Hana, well that's right...Hana is Yoh and Anna's son. I help out by keeping an eye on him." Satisfied with her explanation, Tamara went back to drinking.

"Why?"

Tamara looked up again. "What do you mean?"

"Mari means 'Why do you keep an eye on this Hana?'"

"Oh well..." Tamara trailed off, not sure how to answer the question. "I guess, I just want to help out."

"Why?"

"Because Anna and Yoh allow me to stay with them—even when we had to stay in that little apartment."

"Why?"

"Well I've been with Yoh's family for a long time. I was happy to assist Yoh; I never feel over worked or bitter about my work because I know I'm helping him."

"..." Mari fell silent and looked down at her feet. "MaRi hELps tOo. She loves to help."

----With a Odd Girl----

"Wha-wha-wha..." Morty quivered shrinking behind Lyserg who stood defensively in back. Len and Trey up front eyed they're 'new friend' in shock, frozen in place.

"BOYS." The girl said in a heavy voice, pointing at Len. She grinned...as best she could. Her smile was less than presentable—a row of large yellowish teeth glared back at Len. The group was froze there for five, maybe six more seconds before Len straightened up and spoke first. "Yes well, am Len (indeed a boy) and we," He gestured to everyone behind him. "Are here with the new owners of the house." The girl's expression didn't change. "And...you are?"

"Her name is Alice." A daintier voice said from behind some brush. The group forced themselves to tear their attention from the behemoth Alice to see a tiny woman step out from the brush. She had a small spray can in hand, weed repellent from the looks of it. "I am Beatricia. I do apologize for my daughter—I'm afraid she isn't the cleanliest of things." She smiled, but despite her attempt to look welcoming, her face made her smile look like a grimace. Apparently Beatricia wasn't quite the smiling kind. Ryu cringed.

"Am I to assume you are a yard worker here?" Len asked, eying her gloves, boots, and spray can. "Indeed I am. My daughter also 'works' here. As you can see, she was cleaning debris from the pond. However I'm afraid we'll have to call in a professional—we can't do anything with all that terrible fungus." She gestured to a growth slowly crawling its way out of the pool.

Len acknowledged the fungus to be rather disturbing. 'Yet another thing that would need some professional attention...' Len thought.

"So its just you two here?"

"Oh no, there are others. However, it is only Alice and I who tend to all the gardens on the grounds."

"Are these people all residents or workers?" Lyserg said, having finally relaxed.

"Hm. You all seem to many questions. Please come in so we can all have a seat." Beatricia turned on her heels and stalked off into the thicket of the garden. Alice, who grinned happily, followed her supposed mother. Determined to get all his questions answered, Len immediately followed. Lyserg and Morty went after him. Trey and Ryu exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed as well.

The room the group was led to was a quiet, warm little room. Alice, who giggled a heavy wheeze, skipped (as best she could) to a large pile of pillows stained with mystery (in the most disgusting sense) and plopped down on top of them. Opposite to her on a bookshelf, every knickknack jumped. Speaking of which, the room was populated by a family of porcelain knickknacks and music boxes. Beatricia took a seat in rocking chair beside Alice's pillows and motioned for her guests to take a seat.

"Now, isn't that better?"

----The Record Players----

Hana was silent as he traversed the halls under Joshua's lead with the records tucked under his arm. Joshua pulled the record player behind him, expertly guiding it around on its rickety wooden wheels. Hana shivered as a tremor crawled up his spine; the house seemed so large that it could never be the home he wanted (it was also cold and our of the way). Maybe his parents would have the upper floors closed off...or rented out... "Hmmm..." He thought to himself, following behind Joshua. The pair soon found themselves before the elevator Joshua spoke of—an old style elevator with doors that you manually slide shut. Joshua stopped and turned to look at Hana.

"Uhhh...What's up?" Hana asked.

"This is embarrassing! Ha..." Joshua began scratching his head and blushing. "But do you think you could make one of the records work now—just for a sec?"

"Why now?"

"Well I..." Joshua looked away. "To be honest this elevator makes a scary sound when you ride it—if a song is playing, I won't hear the noise."

"..." Hana didn't really have a reason not to, he supposed, so he shrugged and agreed. Smiling, Joshua fell to his hands and knees and allowed Hana to climb on his back to reach the machine. Hana had selected one of the older Soul Bob records and was lifting the needle when he noticed the design on the turntable's top; thirteen golden rings formed a sort of target on it. Frowning, Hana thought 'just how rich was this guy 'till he had to have a golden recor--!' Hana lost his footing and instinctively dropped the record and clutched the first thing he could grab—the needle. "OW!" He yelped jumping off Joshua's back. The needle had got him good, blood spilled from Hana's finger and he winced as the pain refused to wane. Joshua rushed to his side. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Okay? I just got a little weak...I'm just a LittLe tIRed. "

Hana stood and wiped the blood on his pants leg. "Aw, its nothing...smarts like heck though..." He groaned a little. "But whatever. Come on, let's try that again." The two resumed what they were attempting but Joshua was able to convince Hana to let him presume to put the record on instead. Joshua peered over the table top, gazing deep into the intricate design etched in the gold which was now marred with blood. The small drops quivered but suddenly began to move making their way to the very center of the target. There was a small click...

and the first ring began to spin.

-------The Other Couple-----

"This house it absolutely massive Pailong!" Jun exclaimed. Pailong waited back near the door and watched with weary eyes has Jun marveled at the foyer. He was carrying two bags, both belonging to Jun. What little he brought hardly needed a bag—he just stacked his things in the trunk. Pilica had carried along a small bag for herself along with a massive bag of things for Kororo; all of which were still in the car. The others had left their bags in a small corner in the foyer. Everyone had packed a minimal amount—planning to double back and get the remainder or their stuff out of storage later. Pailong sat Jun's things with the others, curious to how long they've been there.

"Where do you think the rest room might be?" Jun asked peeking behind doors. "This is a bother, maybe I should have made a plan to leave earlier like the others did...We don't even have a single clue where to go."

"I'm sure...there's a restroom close by Jun." Pailong said, taking her hand. "We'll just look around on our own for a bit." Jun smiled and the pair ventured into the house. In a painting hanging on the wall back in the foyer, the Spirit of Fire glowed brightly in the night before fading...to reveal a woman gazing with eyes filled with concern.

------Elsewhere...-----

A grumbling stranger lifts his head and stares out into the garden outside his window. He was a mass of flesh carelessly thrown together, a mistake if their ever was one. The moon light shined in on him and for a brief moment, all his vision was blurred by light. When he came to, eyes refocused, he brought a hand up to feel at his forehead.

He poked delicately at scarred skin, bloody exposed flesh, and then something that shocked even him. The moon light which bathed him shined right through him...through a massive hole in his head.

He wailed.

I hope you liked it...

Later.


	7. The Elevators

I'm sure you all have found that I have edited the other chapters. I'm sorry that I didn't check them sooner.

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Chapter Seven: Elevators

-----------The Tea Room----------

"Oh wow…" Yoh said, jaw-dropped. The tea room was more than he could have imagined. It was wide and expansive with tatami mat floors and rice paper sliding doors. The wall opposite the door was all window and one could clearly hear crickets serenading (the first sign of life besides humans in the massive building--good to know creatures weren't avoiding the place). Despite the size of the room, there wasn't too much inside as far as furniture. Only a small table and some cushions for sitting on.

"Please have a seat." Opacho said, breathing in a sigh. "I'll have some tea prepared for us." With that she bounced out of the room through a nicely camouflaged door that simply pushed back and slid to the right. It was situated along the vertical wooden boards, nothing to distinguish it. Finally alone, the couple just sat in each other's silence waiting for the other to start talking. Even Anna, who had a million comments and questions churning about in her skull, could find no words. Yoh decided he'd start, finally being unable to take the silence. "This house incredible, I had no idea I was related someone who had this kind of expensive tastes!"

"…Its okay."

'Well, that didn't do it…'

"So, are you gonna tell me what's on your mind or do I have to spend all night trying to read it?" He grinned. "What's up Anna?" Yoh said, seriously, reaching out to place his hand on Anna's. "Hm?"

Anna sighed. "Well, its just this house, I can't shake that there's something plain wrong about it…Beyond the fact that a guy who's basically a stranger just gave it to us." She looked directly into Yoh's face. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Yoh paused, pondering his answer and then frowned a little. "Well yeah, I guess…I think I've got the same chill you and Morty do."

"Shorty's always got a chill."

"Ha yeah, I guess he does huh?" Yoh chuckled a little. "And about Hao…the thing is he-"

"Pardon, but the tea is ready."

Out from the back room, more than likely a kitchenette specifically for the tea room, came Opacho who promptly took a seat at the table. Following her was a dark skinned, fairly chubby woman. She was terribly homely and seemed to know it; her eyes were glued to the floor, her head hung in something like shame. Along with that, she seemed worn out, over worked, and tired with worry and stress. Despite her looks, her voice was oddly beautiful--so very full of youth. "It's so nice to meet you, new master, Mr. Yoh Asakura…sama…sir…san…" She placed the tray of tea down, a Victorian spread complete with fine white wares and lady finger cakes sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Anna raised an eyebrow "That was fast for tea." She said. "And a European tea set with a Japanese tea room…tacky."

"Ah! I'm sorry, please I'm so sorry!" The woman sputtered, waving her hands around before attempting to gather up the tray. However, before she could, Opacho placed a tiny hand on the woman's. "If you're implying that the Master has no taste, I'll have you know that the master does indeed have tea serving sets suitable for Japanese teas among Japanese décor. Along with that, there are multiple rooms modeled to replicate the glory of European designs." She glared. "The tea is mundane bagged tea, as I'm sure you guessed. I figured you'd prefer a fast snack…excuse me for being wrong." Opacho finished harshly still glaring directly into Anna's eyes.

"Mpf, dese hakes ere er retty good." Yoh said, his mouth full of light and airy cakes.

"Th, thank you sir. I'll be on call, Madam Opacho." The woman bowed and scurried back into the kitchenette. "Has she been working here long?" Yoh asked having gulped down the cake. "She seemed really nervous…"

"That woman is Delores. She's been working as a caretaker and maid here for a while." Opacho muttered, reluctantly breaking her glare. "In fact, there are a few people here--a modest staff…I'd like to talk to you, 'new master' about them for a moment."

-----------The Elevators----------

Humming and bouncing along to the music, Joshua and Hana road the rickety old elevator on its slow climb upwards. The elevator wasn't exactly something you'd trust to keep you from pummeling into the darkness of an elevator shaft; it was made of wood for one and secondly, it was crudely put together--you could see nails that hadn't been properly driven in. Regardless of which, the pair made it safely to their destination…another elevator. "What's all this?" Hana asked, confused.

"The room we're heading to is special, there's a special elevator that leads to it and only it. Thing is, it takes some work to find it. Just you wait Hana, you'll be amazed!" Joshua smiled, happily pulling Hana and the record player along with him onto the new elevator.

'At least this one doesn't look so bad.' Hana thought as the elevator began to smoothly move downwards. When Hana questioned the direction, Joshua excitedly told him to 'just wait' because 'it will be awesome'. The elevator began to grind to a halt and began to sit there, ticking quietly.

"HEE-HA-HA!" Joshua suddenly busted out laughing, startling Hana who jumped and stared at the giggling Joshua. Then, there was a click and a whining whir. With a sharp jerk, the small area began to swiftly move to the left forcing Hana and Joshua to slam into the wall--Joshua still mad with laughter. "What are you laug---Whoa!" Hana was interrupted by the elevator jerking to a halt. The doors slowly opened to reveal yet another elevator even more sturdy looking than the last.

"Hee, hee. Wasn't that fun Hana? THe oTHeRs arE eVen bETtEr!" Joshua said, standing and pulling Hana by the sleeve. "Let's go, let's go!" He bounced as Hana slowly got up and ran his hand through his hair. 'That wasn't fun. ' He thought bitterly.

"Oh please?" Joshua said, tugging childishly at Hana's sleeve again. "I promise that this is the last one I'll make you ride. I swear it." After a second, Hana sighed, agreeing.

"Yay! You'll see Hana, you won't be sorry!"

-------------On a Mysterious Hall---------------

Not too long after they began to talk with one another back in what was explained by Mari to be the infirmary, Tamara had grown comfortable with the odd girl Marion. The two had decided to walk together, aimlessly walking down hall after hall talking about their experiences as 'maids'.

"Yoh is always very cheerful! He'd say 'things will work out', or something like that and just grin!" Tamara said, smiling. "I'm so glad I got a chance to live with him and his family."

"You are very fond of 'him and his family'." Mari said, her voice still pretty much monotone.

"Oh yes, very much! I told you that I kind of served his grandparents and even his parents for a while; they're all such kind people."

"But you've never heard of the master…Mari expected as much." She paused. "But master Hao is also kind and cheerful. He was, Mari thinks."

Tammy stared down at the floor. "I'm so sorry for your lost." She said, not sure what else to say. Tamera couldn't imagine what she'd do if, all of the sudden, Yoh died. The thought itself was sickening.

"Master Hao found Mari and let her live with him. He found many people, and let them stay with him." Mari stared up at the ceiling. "He had a big heart…He was good…Your Yoh." Mari said suddenly.

"Huh? Yoh?" Tammy blushed at the idea-- 'her Yoh'---imagine that!

"Hm." The odd blonde nodded, her pony tails swinging. "He's the master's twin. Everyone is excited. It is because he's here." She stared at the ceiling once more. "The house dies…when the master isn't around. However…"

Mari stopped walking, looking up to the wall in front of her. Without even noticing it, Tammy had allowed Mari to lead her into a dead end. She supposed she was too wrapped up in finally learning something about Hao…

"Amazing…" Tammy said, the sight before her nearly taking her breath away.

"…Mari believes…its teeming with life again. All thanks to your Yoh."

-------------The Tea Room-----------

"Mm-hmm." Opacho said, drinking back some of the tea. She didn't seem too fond of the lady fingers; Yoh's apparent like of them seemed to revolt her. "As I said, it's a small staff, but a sufficient one." She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a photograph of what must have been 'the staff' standing with the Spirit of Fire. Anna leaned forward, studying each face carefully. She clearly recognized Delores, who seemed dead on her feet behind a lively looking young boy who Anna remembered as Joshua from the Halloween photo in the galley. Opacho was out in front, smiling widely, beside what must have been the mysterious 'master Hao'. He had long, flowing chocolate hair with deep brown eyes. 'He looks so much like Yoh…twins?' Anna thought to herself, searching for any and every difference she could find between the two brothers. "They even share the grin…"

"You think so?" Yoh said, leaning forward to get a better look. "Hey, I guess we do!" Yoh grinned, proving the point. "Hm." Stealing a glance at Opacho who seemed to enjoy Yoh's smile, Anna made a mental note: don't think out loud. She didn't really trust Opacho just yet; her Yoh wasn't a replacement for this Hao character and Opacho wasn't their friend. "You were saying…about the staff?" Anna steered back to the topic at hand.

"Oh, yes well…" Opacho shifted slightly. "I'm sure you all are looking forward to making this home much like your Inn. Pl--"

"How do you know about the Inn?" Anna interrupted. As far as she knew, Yoh had never contacted Hao or his little friend here--there was no way…Hao had been keeping tabs…

Opacho gritted her teeth. "I assure you that master Hao knows his brother. " She look at Yoh. "He did give you his home after all. I'm positive that the master had faith that you would not only take care of his house but also the people here. None of these people," She gestured to the photo. "Were hired, nor did they receive money for their services. These are all simply people the master extended a hand to; he was a generous man. In fact, even more people than this lived here at one point."

Yoh turned the picture towards him. Each and every person there seemed happy. "Where are they now?" He asked. "They left. The others were hired staff, hired to care for our little family here."

'Hm…' Anna thought to herself. As soon as she saw the picture, she'd got the feeling this group thought of themselves like a family. 'But then I guess Yoh's no different.' He does, after all, have a family of friends waiting to settle in with him here.

"You're asking if Yoh and I will allow these people to continue on living here?" Anna concluded.

Opacho smiled. "Well yes, that is what I'm asking. It's a big house, surely this small group won't get in your way. Also, they are such a kind group, gentle, polite…I'm sure you all will warm up to them soon enough."

----------The Elevator Maze---------

Still clutching poor Kororo and dragging her owner by her dirty blue locks, the horrible bulking man made his way onto an elevator. He'd gotten in the house via a small door located along the sides, unseen by any of anyone under the cloak of night. He road the elevators, one by one, standing easily despite the jerks and sudden stops of the elevator rides (not like Joshua and Hana who got tossed about). Soon, he found himself on the 'safer' elevators. It seemed that some elevators were new and sturdy while others where simply makeshift--made of wood and nails. After riding somewhere between ten and fifteen elevators, the stranger finally found what he'd been searching for: an elegant contraption made of wood and gold---a music machine on wheels--the record player.


End file.
